Mental Health | Chronic Illness | Creative Non-Fiction | Life Lessons

Road Closed, Detour on Life’s Roadtrip Along the Autonomic River

Stress and anxiety look different now

Image created by the author with Canva Pro

There you are, cruising along, and bam! The path you planned hits a roadblock and detours you in another direction. It affects more than just your travels.

At one time or another, each of us hits a detour in relationships, careers, finances, or health. Any of them can take us on a surreal ride to a destination filled with high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, or all of the above.

Just think about the last 6 months. Natural disasters across the U.S. include hurricanes, tornados, floods, snowstorms, and wildfires. Fatal tragedies from train wrecks, multi-car pileups, and airplane crashes. Plus wars, bombings, and violence overseas, we are all affected by the stress and anxiety on multiple levels.

None of these are in our personal playbooks. These are just a few of the road closures on life’s road trip that deter us and put our mental health and wellness at risk, taking a toll on society.

These disasters pull heavily on our heartstrings, bonding people together with a sense of community, but not all of us are in unison. We each…